News
Brantford-Brant

Free on-street parking stays on Shellington Place

The city will not eliminate free on-street parking on Shellington Place, after all.

Patients who park in the 27 spots along the short street leading into the Brantford Medical Centre can be relieved after a majority of city councillors sympathized with the many pleas they received over the past two weeks.

In Monday's council meeting, they combined to defeat 7-4 a resolution that would have taken out the parking at the request of the medical centre's management. The resolution was endorsed 9-2 in the operatiions and administration committee two weeks ago.

Those who defeated the resolution on Monday included councillors Jan Vanderstelt, John Utley, Dan McCreary, Richard Carpenter, Dave Wrobel, Marguerite Ceschi-Smith and David Neumann.

Those who still wanted to take out the parking were Mayor Chris Friel and councillors Vince Bucci, Dignan-Rumble and Larry Kings.

"I'm very pleased at the outcome," said McCreary, who along with Coun. Richard Carpenter, were the only two to oppose the resolution in committee, and led the fight to reverse it.

"I'm happy that we're still giving people choice," McCreary continued. "There are people who have to go often to the centre. They can't afford $4 every time to park in the centre's lot. I don't want them to have to choose between paying and not buying milk."

McCreary said he received numerous supportive emails and phone calls for his position from patients who use the medical centre.

Two weeks ago, the centre management made a high-profile pitch to the committee - complete with a glossy brochure and a video - calling the on-street parking "an accident waiting to happen."

The video portrayed the cul-de-sac street as dangerous for people who wanted to park on the street and cross over to the centre.

Some councillors called attention to the fact that that parking lot of the privately run centre has only 53% occupancy. They suggested the management might get more people to use it if the fee is was cut to $2.

But the management said a reduction would be counter to their "business model."

At one point, some councillors were floating a compromise of $3 per visit, but it was rejected.

Wrobel served notice that he will bring a reworked resolution to the next meeting to redesignate and reline the parking spots farther back from the entrance to the medical centre's parking lot and the cul-de-sac to allow transit in more easily and reduce instances of illegal parking.